Last Updated on December 22, 2018
The coach of Arina Sobolenko Dmitry Tursunov in an interview to Sports.ru spoke about cooperation with the Belarusian one. – When did you realize that you want to train? – In recent tournaments, I played quite well. But with a couple of matches had to be removed because of injuries: it was squeezing the nerve, then there were problems with the muscles in the legs. The last match I could not finish, before this, too, almost did not play, but managed to pull out. Then I went to the ATP tournament, and I was told that I would have to spend three months on rehabilitation, so that the problems that were there were not: then I could not slow down without pain. I played without legs, but I am not Ivo Karlovich, and I have to play the jokes, so it was hard. I still hoped that somehow I would get involved, but the practice showed something completely different. At that moment I was already hurt, sorry for the details, to sit on the toilet. In my case, the process was originally built incorrectly in some ways, so some problems became chronic. I realized that I could not play until 40 years. At that moment I was 34, and I thought: let’s say I spend three months on rehabilitation, let’s say, return to the court. But my rating will again be zero. To rise back to the weave, you probably need a year to play. While I will be going up, I will not make money, I will sit on zero. In addition, I realized that from morning till evening I practice my tennis. But it seems to me not quite right in 30-plus years to deal only with myself, with each of my petty problem. I do not perceive this as an adequate life goal. From this point of view, I probably have a communist approach: the interest must not only be my own, and I cannot be the beneficiary of any development. Therefore, it is very close to me to develop some tennis club, to help someone. It brings me pleasure, and I feel that I am not only worried about myself. That year, Lena Vesnina and I trained at CSKA, and in the summer she asked if I wanted to go with her to Australia. I said I want to continue to play. But then, when this last tournament passed, I thought I called her and said that if the offer was in force, I was ready to try. I thought I would continue to study at the same time. There was no talk about any long-term perspective, the conversation was only about Australia, and I thought that I could go with her as an assistant or consultant and be engaged in parallel. If I feel that my legs are going through, then maybe I’ll try to play. And if they get sick, I still do something and just see if I like it. When we finished with it, I felt that the physical form of playing tournaments does not allow, but by that time I realized that I did not mind helping the players, coaching, prompting. – How did you meet Arina? – She played with Vika Azarenka against Lena and Katya Makarova. And it was clear that she was not yet satisfied: if Vika understood how to play a pair, she looked a little like the fifth wheel. But she had this attitude: Lena and Katya were punched by her a couple of times, once she even fell on the fifth point, but at the same time she laughed. And I really liked it. It was evident that she loves to play and compete, does not succumb to the difficulties, that she has great potential. Then we saw each other in tournaments. At some point, I was told that she wanted to change the coach, and after Roland Garros I received an offer to work with her. I agreed with pleasure. – How did Arina become Top-15 tennis player with you? – These are all small nuances. It was not such that I came, waved his magic wand, and she became the 15th. The rating indicates its results, and in them the role that confidence appeared appeared. She began to win more, and in this situation it becomes much easier to play. As a player, she became a little calmer, began to realize things that she did not quite understand, which she was not sure of. Maybe she played the same way, but was not sure of the correctness of these or other tactical decisions. Sometimes small changes give a great result. The person twitches less, worries less, doubts less, and very often it creates a tangible effect. – You said that Arina can change tennis, as Seles, Graf and Williams did. Due to what? What will it look like? – I am not saying that she did it or will definitely do it. Many this statement is very offended. And when I mention Serena Williams, some are outraged that Arina has not yet won any Slam. But I’m not saying that she is better than Serena. I say she has potential. Arina is quite athletic, but not yet well coordinated. But her age allows you to make some changes, add more explosions in movement, more control over the body. This will allow better movement. If all this is added to her power and aggression, then this can significantly change the modern women’s tennis. Because, for example, Sharapova can beat a lot, but she does not move as well as she hits. If she had moved better, she could have fought Serena. And so all that she can, Serena can do the same or better. As a result, she can neither interrupt nor cross her. Arina has strength and potential, and I would really like her to open it. Not to shut up everyone, they say, I told you. I just think that it can launch a new round in the development of the game.
